Netflix Severs Ties With Kevin Spacey

The entertainment company issues an official statement following sexual assault allegations. By Victoria Kingdon

House of Cards. Image: Rex

Netflix has released an official statement severing ties with Kevin Spacey, following a string of allegations against the actor of sexual misconduct.

Production of House of Cards, which stars Spacey, was immediately suspended on 31 October when Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp came forward to say that the actor had tried to seduce him when he was 14 years old. More reports of sexual assault have arisen and, according to the BBC, the company has now announced that they will proceed with the show without Spacey’s involvement.

“Netflix will not be involved with any further production of House of Cards that includes Kevin Spacey,” said a company spokesperson in a statement. “We will continue to work with MRC [series producer Media Rights Capital] during this hiatus time to evaluate our path forward as it relates to the show.”

The spokesman added, “We have also decided we will not be moving forward with the release of the film Gore, which was in post-production, starring and produced by Kevin Spacey.” Gore was a biopic on American writer Gore Vidal.

When it was originally aired House of Cards became the first online streaming series to receive mainstream praise, garnering nine Emmy nominations.